My 03 Disco is was on it's way from Atlanta to Houston yesterday when I heard a funny noise that I could not identify so I quickly pulled over and did an inspection. There was a fair amount of gear oil under the vehicle from the transfer case to the rear end under the chasis. I had had everything checked the day before and the dealer had said my transfer case was less then pint low and they topped it off and they said "it didn't look too bad for the life of the vehicle and the mileage (108,000) and i should be good to go."

It may be nothing and I am hopeful but I still had it towed to the dealer in Shreveport and left it and am awaiting a call. Perhaps it was something else that made the noise but if it is the transfer case I am wondering if you can install a different one, like the 2004 which has the features that the 03 does not have.

??? I noticed that Roverland Parts has professionally rebuilt ones for the '03 for $1100 and the '04 for $1350

 

Yes they do and yes you can install an 04 t/case to gain some extra traction.
If you find you need a case, there is a guy by the name of Will Tirrey that usually has some great deals, if needed, shout and I'll find his number.

 

Just heard from the dealer and the tech said the gear oil was quite low and he detected a very slight "chain" noise from inside but nothing he felt was a major issue. He said the fluid had no metal grindings in it or burned smell. He recommended removing the unit and re-sealing all gaskets and shaft seals, reinstalling and giving it a go. The cost is around $350 which doesn't sound too bad! I figure if I can get it back here and see how it runs over the next few weeks I will know if it is going to need replacing or not. I'm hopeful that I pulled over fast enough to not have caused significant damage.

I guess the moral of the story is if you have a transfer case leak, either fix it yourself or have it done but it most likely won't heal on it's own and the costs of burning one up are too high to gamble with. Lesson learned!

 

Our t/cases don't have chains, they are full gear units so if there is a noise I would be somewhat concerned.
Normal t/case reseal is around $700 so I am wondering how familiar he is with this case.